WTAM Local News

PHOTOS: 2013 Cleveland Rite-Aid Marathon

(Cleveland) - Runners from around the country participated in the Cleveland Marathon today. Much of the route was lined with spectators family and friends cheering them on.

Many told Newsradio WTAM 1100 the course was well-planned, and the weather was perfect. A few said the wind was a factor along the lake, but their run went well, and they appreciated the extra security.

A few wished the course went through more residentical neighborhoods.

Twenty-thousand runners participated in the Cleveland Marathon and related races this weekend.

In addition to Sunday morning's marathon, the weekend races include a half-marathon, 10-kilometer, 5-kilometer and kid's run events.

Extra security was announced after the Boston Marathon bombings. The normal Cleveland contingent of 350 to 400 security officers was expanded with more bomb-sniffing dogs and security camera surveillance efforts.

Brandon Bauer of New Albany was the top Ohio finisher. He finished in fifth place in 2:28:45.

Among those racing in the full 26 mile event was Isaiah Douglas, who ran in last month’s tragic Boston Marathon. Douglas was one of the early finishers in boston and learned later that the marathon had been bombed.

Though Douglas is still shaken by the attack, he is concentrating on running as he makes his way through Cleveland's streets. Douglas says he has confidence that local law enforcement will keep them safe.

Boris Dilbert & Isaiah Douglas

Boris Dilbert of Savanna, Georgia says the hardest point for him is the 20 mile marker when the race becomes grueling. He feels the biggest danger is dehydration.

In the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings, security for the Cleveland Marathon was stepped up.

Cleveland Police Commander Harold Pretel says they made some adjustments because of the Boston attack, but contends they had a very robust plan in place already.

Commander Harold Pretel

The Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Department provided twelve deputies while a joint terrorism task force made up of local and federal law enforcement will also be on hand to protect the 18,000 runners and tens of thousands of spectators along the 26 mile route.

Officers in uniform and plain-clothes lined the parade route. There were also a number of K9 units as part of the beefed-up security.

Philemon Terer, a 27-year-old runner from Kenya, was the first to cross the marathon finish line with a time of 2:17:37. Terer began pulling away from the other runners a little more than a mile from the finish line, though he spent most of the race alongside Tesfaye Dube.

Dube, of Ethiopia, came in second with a time of 2:18:10, followed by 34-year-old Geofrey Kiprotich, also from Kenya, at 2:19:41.

Among the women, Sarah Kiptoo, 23, of Kenya took first with a time of 2:33:42. The women’s marathon winner from 2012, Mary Akor, 36, finished second with a time of 2:36:03. She was followed by Joanna Johnson, 24, of Oberlin, Ohio who finished in 2:48:43. Alana Hadley, the 16-year-old star runner from Charlotte, N.C., finished in 2:58:23 in her marathon debut.

Marathon winners Terer and Kiptoo are from the same hometown in Kenya. Each won $3,000 and collected an additional $3,000 bonus for finishing under 2:20:00 and 2:40:00, respectively.

Leo Kormanik II, 30, of Lodi, Ohio finished first in the men’s half marathon, finishing in 1:10:06. Another Ohioan, Justin Baum of Magnolia, took second with a time of 1:13:47, followed by 26-year-old Eric Martin of Parkersburg, West Va. who finished in 1:15:51.

Tamara Marquardt, a 25-year-old runner from Shaker Heights, Ohio led the women’s half marathon with a time of 1:22:54. Marquardt was followed by fellow Ohioan Katy Reynolds, 32, of Apple Creek, who crossed in 1:23:45. Ro Morgan, Peninsula, finished third with a time of 1:25:48.

Common with the 10K race, elite international runners dominated the top spots for the men’s and women’s events. Moroccan runner Najim El Qady and Kenyan Risper Gesabwa won the men’s and women’s races, respectively, and each took home a $2,000 purse.

El Qady, 32, finished in 28:46. He was followed by Keynan Shadrack Kiyai, 29, who finished in 29:31 and Cole Atkins, 27, from North Carolina, who finished in 29:53.

Gesabwa, 24, won the women’s 10K with a time of 33:22. 10K winner from 2011 and 2012, Everlyne Lagat, of Kenya, placed second with a time of 33:42. She was followed by 27-year-old Millicent Kuria of Kenya who finished in 33:48.

Sunday’s events also included The We Run This City Program, which had 750 school-aged participants from Cleveland Municipal School District. Many of the kids ran the final 1.2 miles of their 26.2 mile training throughout the spring, however an additional 170 students ran the 10K and 30 took on the half marathon.

Twenty-three-year-old Davis Filippell of Shaker Heights, Ohio claimed Saturday’s 5K in 16:20. In the women’s race, Erin Abdalian, 19, from St. Louis, won with a time of 20:43.

Under clear, sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 70s, the weekend saw participation in the 36th Annual Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon events reach a record high of 20,134 runners. The total represents an increase of more than 305 percent since Rite Aid became the title sponsor in 2003, when 5,200 participants took to the streets of Cleveland. The half marathon sold out for the third consecutive year and the fourth time in the marathon’s 36-year history.

The 2013 race featured 16 neighborhood parties, and numerous music stations and bands along the course. The finish line area, which featured live music, a beer garden and sponsor and charity booths, was overflowing with family and friends of runners enjoying the sights of the North Coast Harbor with the finish line situated just between the Great Lakes Science Center and Cleveland Browns Stadium. Funds were raised for One Fund Boston throughout the weekend via donations of any amount in exchange for blue "Boston Strong" wristbands. One hundred percent of donations will be sent to the fund.

Official race results of all finishing runners are available on the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon website at www.clevelandmarathon.com <http://www.clevelandmarathon.com> by clicking on the 2013 Race Results Button. Registration opens today for the 2014 race, which is scheduled for Sunday, May 18, 2014.

About the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon

The Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon is in its 36th year of providing a running experience for all individuals who want to participate regardless of their abilities. More than 350,000 runners have participated, generating more than $18 million annually to benefit the Cleveland community.